Sniffing Out Murder (Mina's Adventures Book 7)

by Maria Grazia Swan

  “I guess so, she did come kiss me goodnight.” Poor kid.

  “What do you say we go take a few dogs out for a walk?”

  He quickly closed his books and gave her half a smile. Blessed youth.

  They didn’t make it far from the front door. Simon and Sky arrived together. Mina wondered if it was a onetime thing or a lot more. She was dying to ask Simon about the fire, but didn’t feel comfortable about it.

  Finally she gave in. “Simon, do you know who will be taking care of Lizabeth while her mom is—you know—away?”

  “Away? Oh, you mean for the psychiatric examination? I’m not sure. I heard the grandmother from Chicago was flying in. That woman wasn’t very friendly when we lived next door, but nothing like this. The whole street is hoping she goes back to Chicago with her mom before she kills someone.” He shrugged and went to get a soda from the refrigerator.

  Before she kills someone. What if she already had? If the mother flew in last night chances were Mrs. Somer had spoken to her earlier in the day about the gift from Babies on a Monkey Tree. She would have assumed the socks came from the mother, Lizabeth’s grandmother, like the first batch. And if the grandmother were an intelligent, observing person chances were pretty good she would be asking why her daughter started the fire. What was she trying to burn?

  Shivers traveled up and down Mina's spine faster than a rollercoaster. None of this made sense. Maybe she was the one who needed her head examined. Why would Mrs. Somer want to harm Isabel Cordero? They were both single mothers, one worked, the other one? Mina didn’t know. Cordero's only possession seemed to be the beat up Malibu. Mrs. Somer had a boyfriend with a fancy motorcycle. The day at the shelter was winding down, and Mina’s head hurt. All that double serving of guilt felt like she should be the one burning in hell. What if Mrs, Somer had nothing to do with Isabel Cordero’s death? Mina had to get out of there, go home, talk to somebody. Talk about what? She started to collect her things from her desk, her hands shaking. Her notes from the American Express phone call still on the desk. She looked at the date. According to that, her card had been compromised the day after she ordered the socks. Coincidence? Luck? Or a little help from a friend? She folded it and put it in her purse. On her way out she bumped into Tom there to pick up the boys. Orphan boys, Mina, don’t forget. Orphans, like you.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  OBSESSION. ISABEL CORDERO’S death had become her obsession. Memories of her mother’s murder? Need to right a wrong? Mina couldn’t explain it, not even to herself. She had to talk it over with some neutral party before she unintentionally hurt some innocent life.

  Aria and Houdini would have to wait a little longer for their supper. She parked her LTD in the garage and made a beeline to the Ritzy Cats B&B. Millie was finishing up prepping the boarders for the evening. There were three left until the weekend. Then others would arrive.

  Zeus walked side by side with his adopted mom and seemed happy and well fed. No longer shy either. Mina sat on the couch. The place smelled of baked bread. Regardless of how busy she was, Millie always managed to have something wonderful cooking. Reminded Mina of her other older and wiser friend, Emilia. Emilia and her cat, Fufa. The whole time Mina was in Italy she'd eaten more meals cooked by Emilia than she had in restaurants. Emilia, Millie. Ah, how about that? Emily in English, very close to Millie if you pronounced it fast. Back in Italy she had been obsessed with Diego. Maybe it was her destiny to just obsess over someone.

  “Why so pensive? Problems?” Millie asked from the small kitchen. “I have some freshly baked bread and some French Brie that melts in your mouth. Tempted?” She peeked at her from the open arch between the rooms. “I take your nodding as a yes? Oh, wine and a green salad are also on the menu.”

  Mina walked over. “Can I run some scenarios by you while we eat? I’m afraid to make a mistake that may mess up someone’s life.”

  “Do I know this someone?”

  “Yes. Not personally. I’ve told you about the socks, remember? Well, yesterday Mrs. Somer set fire to a dumpster and was taken in for a psychological evaluation.” Mina told her what she'd found out from Simon about the grandmother coming in from Chicago. “Chances are pretty good that the box and the socks were in the fire and that the grandmother may have questions. I’m assuming all this, and I’m convinced Mrs. Somer had something to do with Isabel Cordero’s death and she may be very close to being scared enough to confess. I have a plan.”

  “A plan? Oh dear, a plan to scare the woman even more?”

  Mina nodded. “If I’m going ahead with it, I must do it before tomorrow when De Fiore gets back. I don’t know how he does it, but he seems to always guess my intentions.”

  “Let’s eat before the bread gets cold and the wine warm. Don’t stop talking, you can tell me all about it.”

  Mina helped her carry the food to the table, watched her get a bottle of Pinot Grigio from the refrigerator. “I can’t tell you about it. If it ends badly and I get in trouble, I don’t want you to get caught in my mess. I’m concerned about the human factor. Suppose the woman has nothing to do with Isabel Cordero’s death and really is emotionally unstable. My next move may send her over the edge and ruin her life; the state may take away her child. And it would be my fault. Millie, why can’t I just let it be? Why?”

  “I can’t answer that, dear. Search your soul and whatever you do, make sure your intentions are good because right or wrong, many lives will be affected forever. Seems to me you had already made up your mind before asking for my advice. Are you looking for validation? Why?”

  “I don’t know, Millie, honestly. More like absolution than validation. I can’t stop thinking about it. And when you take a close look, I have nothing to do with any of this. It all started with a rescue dog found wandering the streets of San Clemente. My goal was to locate the owners. I did that. I should be moving on, like they say in the movies—mission accomplished.”

  Millie kept eating, spreading luscious Brie on her warm and tempting bread. “So was there an espresso machine in the box?”

  The question took Mina by surprise. Better that way. Change of subject. “Yes, and it was from Diego, I’m pretty sure. I just don’t get it. Why? It's not like I’m that domestic. Or anxious to change, at least not in the kitchen. Why an espresso machine?”

  “That’s a very expensive brand dear. Some cost more than a diamond ring.”

  Diamond ring? Where did that come from? “Funny you should mention that. Linda thinks Roger is getting close to proposing to her. I bet he’s not giving her a coffee maker. I have no clue how that expensive thing works. It will end up as a kitchen accessory to be admired and dusted once a week.”

  “If you dislike it so much perhaps you can repack it and give it as a wedding gift to Margo and Gino if they decide to make it official. I bet Gino would truly appreciate it.”

  “Oh, Millie, I’m sorry. I’m bringing my bad mood to your table. You know what? That’s an excellent suggestion, and it would make a very nice wedding gift. And… in case I end up in jail, could you take care of my cats until I post bail?” Mina tried to make a joke out of it, but somehow it didn’t seem to be working.

  For a few minutes the only sounds came from their chewing. Then Millie asked, “You’re positively sure you don’t want to run the plan by me?”

  Mina shook her head and kept on eating.

  Like a trapped fly, her plan on getting Mrs. Somer to confess to Isabel Cordero’s death still twirled in her head. Probably why she had a major headache. Might as well go to bed. On her way out of the kitchen her glance lingered on the shining, large object in the middle of her kitchen table. She blew it a kiss. “Buona notte, Diego Espresso.” More than a diamond ring. The thought really annoyed her.

  Today was the day. No need to rush in, she may need to stay late at the office because Sky and Linda were going to the Hair to the Crown to rehearse for the big event. The surrender papers and adoption papers for Cleo and Dutch were at the shelter. Did Houdini sen
se her edginess? He stayed close to her instead of running up and down the stairs as he did most mornings, maybe just to annoy Aria.

  She should eat breakfast and look at the thing on the table, “Buongiorno, Diego Espresso.” She snickered to no one there. First get the newspaper. Her cell rang as she closed the front door. So early? Strange.

  “Mina, where are you?” Millie.

  “Home. Why? What’s wrong?”

  “You must get to a television, the local channel. Hurry, you don’t want to miss this. It’s her—I’m pretty sure.”

  Her? Mina scrambled to turn on the living room set. Must be serious, Millie wasn’t the type to lose her cool over trivial stuff. The local channel had a morning show, copycat of Morning in America or something. Not being an early riser, Mina wasn’t familiar with it.

  The two women hosting the show were middle-aged local celebrities, a bleached blonde and a dyed redhead. Both wore dresses a size too small and were interviewing a woman in her late fifties, nicely dressed in a Chanel suit, grey hair in a bob, and bright red lips.

  “Who is she?” Mina asked Millie.

  “You’re about to find out. You better sit down.” On the phone Millie’s breathing sounded a bit labored. Something out of the ordinary.

  “So how did your daughter feel about sharing her name with the main character from your book?” Asked the blonde talk host.

  “She loooved it,” cooed the Chanel suit. “I would read her a Mrs. Somer story at bedtime, and my daughter was tickled pink to share the same name. She insisted on using the Mrs. too.” What?

  “Millie, is she?”

  “Yes, Mina, she’s the mother of Cordero’s neighbor. She’s a writer and named her daughter after one of her fictional characters.”

  “Oh, my God. Is it even legal?”

  “Shh, let’s listen.”

  “Kids will be kids.” A sigh and a smile from the writer. Nodding from the two local interviewers. “She’ll be home from the medical facility later this morning. There is nothing wrong with my child that a change of address can’t cure. I’m sure you heard about the unfortunate circumstances. I should have insisted for my Somer to come back to Chicago when my granddaughter was born. She’s named after me you know. Lizabeth is just precious. Anyway, we’ll be all going back tomorrow morning and put all that awful mess with the deranged neighbor, God bless her soul, behind us.”

  “Were you aware that this Cordero person was doing such hateful things to your daughter? Do you know why? Shouldn’t your daughter have her reported to the authorities?”

  Chanel suit smiled condescendingly. “The woman had children. My daughter didn’t want the boys to get hurt. In the meantime she was the one suffering in silence, and now she’s paying the price. She’ll be fine as soon as I get her away from that awful place. We could have left in the evening, but Barnes & Noble, the one at South Coast Plaza, found out I was in Orange County and begged me to do a book signing. I didn’t want to disappoint my readers so we postponed departure until tomorrow. I’ll be heading to South Coast Plaza after lunch.”

  More smiles and shaking of perfectly coiffed heads. “Have you had a chance to ask Somer why she set fire to the dumpster?” Now the sweetness of the smiles was enough to give anyone a sugar overdose. But Chanel suit didn’t let that derail her redeeming campaign. “She wanted to burn the last reminders of the woman's bad behavior. Unfortunately my daughter got a little carried away.” She sipped from a large mug that said Morning Sunshine. While Mina held her breath waiting to hear about the reminders. Please don’t say lacy pink socks.

  “Somer wanted to get rid of a dress. She said that Cordero dropped some liquid on the back of her new dress just out of spite because she looked so cute in it. Imagine the wickedness of that woman. My daughter was going to file a complaint, but all that happened the evening before Cordero’s death. So poor Somer was out of a nice dress and left with the bad memories every time she looked at it. The drycleaners couldn’t get the spots out, they said something about enzymes had dried, maybe it was bad milk that Cordero threw on the back of the dress, I don’t know for sure. But enough about that. Let me tell you about my new book due out in two months.”

  Mina was speechless. Did she say milk? Mio Dio. Her mind refused to accept it.

  “Mina, are you still there?” Millie asked.

  “Huhh, yes.” Leo had spilled milk on the Malibu seat that very evening of his mother’s death.

  “Are you okay?” Long pause.

  “I’m more than okay. Millie, I need to know that you will take care of Aria and Houdini if I don’t make it back tonight.”

  “Dear, you worry me when you talk like that. What happened? Something this pompous woman said must have triggered something. Maybe we should discuss it. Talk it over with Detective De Fiore?”

  “Can’t. It must be done today. Didn’t you hear? They are leaving town in the morning. Got to hurry. Everything will work out. Ciao for now.”

  Mina hung up and called Tom, security guard Tom. Next she called the office to warn Linda that she may not be able to close up, better ask Leigh to stay late. Just in case.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  TOM CIRCLED THE block one more time. The scorched dumpster had yet to be moved. “Do you think she really burned the dress?” Mina asked.

  “I’m no detective, but I doubt it would matter. You said the mother told the story on public television. What more proof does one need?”

  “It’s hearsay,” Mina said. “There she is… there she is…”

  “The skinny woman with the stringy hair? What’s she doing?”

  “I’m not sure, moving everything out of her place? I bet she’s going to have a yard sale or something.”

  “Aren’t they leaving town tomorrow?” Tom asked.

  “Yes, according to her mother. I wonder where her little girl is. If we’re lucky she went to the book signing with her grandmother.”

  “We can’t keep circling. She’s bound to notice the truck, this is a rather quiet street.”

  “Tom, you’re right. Let’s do it.”

  “You’re sure now?” he asked.

  Mina nodded—adrenaline already kicking in.

  Tom stepped on the gas, and within minutes they were out of sight of door A on West Mariposa. With Simon and Leo expecting to be picked up at four, Mina felt twice as responsible for the end results. The whole thing was her idea, although Tom didn’t argue much.

  She wanted to make sure he would be able to get back to the boys as scheduled. Especially today. Today’s plan was to finally drive the Malibu home. Tom said that was all they could talk about the evening before.

  Buddy must have recognized Tom’s truck because he rushed to greet them, tail wagging, ignoring Gordo’s calls of, “Wait, boy, wait.”

  The Malibu was the only car in Gordo’s shop. It looked better than most of the old classics Mina glimpsed in magazines. Not that she considered herself an expert of course. Far from. She had never driven a car with a stick shift on the steering wheel, and in spite of not openly acknowledging it, it made her nervous.

  They had only shared bits and pieces of the plan with Gordo, but Silvia, his wife, knew all about it. Mina joined her in the kitchen and then went into the guest bathroom to get dressed. The uniform was too big, as expected. After all, Silvia was at least three sizes bigger than Mina. It didn’t matter as long as they could make it work.

  “I have to say, the uniform is quite cheerful,” Mina said.

  “It’s a matter of taste I suppose, this bright orange looked better on Isabel than it does on me. You want some padding on the top?”

  “You think I should? When I’m sitting in the car I assume the only part visible to passersby will be from my shoulders and up. Right?”

  “You’re right. Let me work on your hair. The length will work fine. Isabel’s hair was a little darker. Maybe I should use some spray gel, it will make it look shinier, and we can part it to fall on the side of your face that will show. We can hide
your profile. Anyone who knew Isabel and comes close to you will be able to tell the difference. Remember that. Keep your chin down as much as you can without getting into an accident. How did I let you talk me into this?”

  Silvia shook her head as if chasing away bad thoughts but kept on fiddling with Mina’s hair until it felt right. They used a tight belt to keep the dress from falling and touching the ground—it was that big. A few safety pins to the middle helped. Finally they walked back to the shop.

  Gordo made no attempt to hide his displeasure. He was very concerned with the legal aspect of the gamble. Mina took her seat behind the wheel of the Chevy. The car was idling. They let Buddy get in the car on the passenger side but with the leash on and Tom hooked the leash to the back of the seat so Buddy could move but not enough to perhaps hop out the car window…

  All the pent up anxiety caught up to Mina, and her hands shook so badly she silently questioned her sanity. Can I do this? This time around there wasn’t Diego or Detective De Fiore. And all Tom could do was give her moral support. From a distance.

  She thought about her mother, how her death had been ruled suicide at first. But Mina had never believed it, and in the end the murderer had paid with his own life.

  Justice, that’s all she wanted. Justice for Leo’s mom. Her cell went off in her purse. On instinct she fished for the phone and looked at the number. Nooo. De Fiore. How was it possible? He must be back in town. Too bad.

  She ignored the call and turned to the men. “Let’s do it. Huh, the Malibu is legit, right? Tags, insurance?”

  “We’re good,” Tom said. “I’ll be right behind you in the truck with my phone next to me. If you change your mind, it’s okay too.” He waited.

  She didn’t say anything, just checked her look in the rearview mirror like Isabel may have done hundreds times before her.

  After carefully putting the car in reverse, the Malibu slid smoothly out of the shop and onto the main street.

  Show time.

  While rehearsing their moves, Tom and Mina had decided the best way was for her to take her time and drive up to the spot where the boys said their mother used to park her car. That way if Mrs. Somer was watching she would see mostly the orange uniform Isabel always wore to work. That and part of the hair, the part hiding most of the face would help create a little distraction. Of course Buddy, sitting next to her, was bound to bark out loud at the sight of his old home.